


let's drift away through every waking hour

by aroundu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble, Light Angst, M/M, Merman! Hinata, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, mermaid au, some Hiiro angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24720049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroundu/pseuds/aroundu
Summary: Even with how many times they’ve hung out, having a delicate friendship at this point, Hiiro still couldn’t help but turn away at the sight of the merman’s tail. He shouldn’t be allowed to see this- if anyone in his village found out how casually he was interacting with merfolk, then he’d be punished worse than he’s ever been before (the time he tripped and accidentally spilled ink on Rinne’s robes still pays a heavy, daily reminder in the scars on his back).
Relationships: Amagi Hiiro/Aoi Hinata
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	let's drift away through every waking hour

“Hiiro-kun~! You were gone for so long, I got really lonely, y’know?” 

Hiiro shuffled over the stones at the edge of the river, ditching his bow by a bush since the long weapon would only slow his climbing over the rocks. There was nothing to fear when he was with this blessed stream, especially when its current occupant was just as spiritual as the waters he lounged in.

The being watched Hiiro with gleaming green eyes, slitted pupils tracking Hiiro’s movements as he slid down the last rock and landed on the gravel next to the water.

“Sorry, Hinata.” He wiped his dirtied hands from climbing down on his pants. “The other hunters haven’t been doing as well lately so I had to go on more hunts than usual.”

Hinata stretched his arms above his head, long orange hair that caught sunlight in it like it was a piece of the sun itself swaying and spilling over his shoulders. “You’re just that talented, huh? Well, I’m happy you’re here now.” He finished stretching with a yawn that made Hiiro think he’d been napping to pass the time, then pulled himself up onto the shore.

Even with how many times they’ve hung out, having a delicate friendship at this point, Hiiro still couldn’t help but turn away at the sight of the merman’s tail. He shouldn’t be allowed to see this- if anyone in his village found out how casually he was interacting with merfolk, then he’d be punished worse than he’s ever been before (the time he tripped and accidentally spilled ink on Rinne’s robes still pays a heavy, daily reminder in the scars on his back). Hinata insisted that he was an outcast within his clan, so no one would ever notice him being absent during the times he visited Hiiro, but Hiiro’s anxieties were with his own people finding out.

He wasn’t his brother. Rinne had a holy blessing to interact with the speakers of the sea, to converse with them and be the front man for the village’s reverence; Hiiro was nothing more than a guardian for his brother, yet even he was not allowed within the meetings. It was more important to maintain the sanctity of them rather than Hiiro be there to guard him.

“Hii~ro~kun~” Hinata’s call had Hiiro turning to him like a bee fumbling to a bundle of flowers for their sweet nectar; something in his voice luring Hiiro to look and making him neglect his self-imposed restraint.

“Ah?” he questioned, answering Hinata’s call but also confused as to his involuntary action. 

Hinata’s eyes were illuminated like a fireflies glow at midnight, but dimming down by the second and returning to their, still bright but albeit not  _ glowing _ , normal green color. His eyebrows pinched together and he viewed Hiiro with a somber expression, one that looked so out of place on the cheerful merman’s face and made Hiiro’s chest tighten in a way he’s never felt before.

“I hate doing that, but you don’t have to be so scared of me. I get enough of that sort of treatment by my clan.” Hinata huffed and rested his head on his arms.

Hiiro resisted the urge to spin his head away again since that seemed to offend Hinata, but he kept his eyes fixed on Hinata’s face rather than drifting off to look at his tail. “What did you do?”

“I called your name. Well, I called it with a bit of magic in it- a Siren’s Call. My clan isn’t a fan of it though, so I don’t do it often. It makes my brother mad too.” Hinata groaned and dragged his hands through his hair. “Ugh! Sorry, Hiiro-kun. I’m being all mopey, so let’s just have fun and chat~!”

“Hinata…” Hiiro sat down on the riverbank, his toes just barely touching the water. “It’s my fault. I was raised to not ever interact, let alone  _ see _ a merperson. But, you’re my friend now, so…” Hiiro inhaled, fresh air scented by the flowing river entering him, then with an exhale he let his eyes wander down to view Hinata’s entire body. “If it makes you upset, then I’ll be more considerate.”

He’s seen glances of Hinata’s tail, but for the most part, Hiiro’s been conscientious of keeping his eyes away, lest he return to the village and they’ve somehow found out he’s seen a merman by the starstruck expression he’d most certainly carry. Now, he let himself take it all in.

Hinata’s tail was thicker than he thought, but it grew thin and flowy; the fin seemed as delicate as a flower petal and just as graceful, yet Hiiro wondered if it had ever ripped with how fragile it looked. His scales were orange, a fact Hiiro knew beforehand from his two second peekings, but what he now saw were the white stripes curling around the entirety of the tail. Following along Hinata’s spine were scattered scales, and onto his tail was a bout of risen scales that reminded Hiiro of a ridge akin to a mountain range’s bumps.

Years of being a hunter and training as a guardian for his brother had taught Hiiro a variety of breathing techniques and exercises. Each one meant to provide mental fortitude and calmness, especially in moments of surprise so as to not be taken off guard by a sneak attack, but each and every one of those lessons left Hiiro as he felt his breath catch in his throat. No wonder someone like him was forbidden to see such a creature- he was nothing more than a tool and he shouldn’t be allowed to witness something this majestically captivating.

“You’re beautiful.” The words escaped him with a gasp- his breath being taken away.

Hinata’s eyes widened and he lifted his upper body up with a jolt. His cheeks flushed red, making Hiiro fear he’d angered him, but then he grinned and reached out to grab Hiiro’s hands.

“I’m really happy to hear that~!” Laughter spilled from Hinata’s mouth, dancing in the air around them like lingering raindrops after a storm, but all Hiiro could focus on was how soft his hands were in his own. “Hiiro-kun, I think you’re rather dashing as well~”

“No way. You’re like… as beautiful as the ocean is? The moon? I could think for days, but I’d need my whole life to come up with the right words to describe everything about you.” Hiiro could start with his eyes, how he loved seeing the slits dilate when he was lazy, or how the green shimmer of them always seemed to be twinkling like stars. There was his long hair, a feature Hiiro dared not touch unless he truly felt like disowning himself from his clan, yet he felt a temptation dance with him and beg him to reach out and feel what that orange strands were like against his fingertips. 

There was also Hinata’s kindness- the way he always cared about Hiiro simply because he  _ liked _ Hiiro. Despite Hiiro’s low status, Hinata didn’t care and always looked at him like a savior. And well, he  _ was _ , but it was simply a duty Hiiro had to serve the ocean and its creatures. 

When he saw Hinata washed up on the shore a few short weeks ago, he couldn’t dare ignore him- not when he was so pale. Hinata was the first merperson Hiiro’s seen, yet Hiiro knew that no merman should ever look as ghostly white as a cloud in the sky. Hiiro didn’t let himself think about how blasphemous it was for him to touch, to  _ hold _ a merman, as he raced to get Hinata to the bend of the river with lethargically moving water. Lowering him into the stream and singing the healing hymn of the ocean, watching as the water lit up with a glare brighter than it ever had when the sun reflected off of it, and breathing a sigh of relief when the merman blinked opened his eyes with a tired face.

Hiiro’s entire life, he had been the primary guard for Rinne- his sword and his shield- but that day, Hiiro felt something else enter his heart. Another reason to live and breathe the air in this world, if only to be there for the merman who asked him to be his friend.

Hinata’s hands tightening around his fingers brought him out of his thoughts. “Then your deadline will be your deathbed. I’ll be waiting until then with much anticipation~”

Hiiro’s heart thundered in him with the intensity of a roaring storm, but there wasn’t an ounce of fear in committing to this oath.

“It’s a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> woohoo mermaids i love mermaids also hinata and hiiro   
> here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/AOlHlNATA)


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